bite size progression

I'm still in puree stage so this is a while away but I was keen to learn how your eating evolved over time?

How small were the bites you were taking at 6 weeks say v 6 months and so on? do they change? or does it depend on what you are eating?

I'm so intrigued!

Everyone's plan is very different. Mine didn't have any defined rules around bite size or number of chews or time in between bites. I'm still a very fast eater and my bites are "normal"; portions are still smaller but bites are normal.

That's really interesting! Thanks for sharing :)

The actual size of individual bites didn't change much when I discovered what my stomach could and could not handle. I actually bought children's silverware and a small, 3 section children's plate that were recommended for smaller bites, and prolonging meals to gradually realize when you're full. I haven't used either the silverware or the plates; they sit in a cabinet.

For me, it's all about toleration. I know my body processes different types of protein at different rates. Chicken and fish are easiest for me. Chicken requires a decent amount of chewing to get the bite manageable for my stomach. Beef is where my new stomach really challenges my old conceptions. I love steaks but now I can't eat more than 3oz of ribeye, filet, hanger, skirt, etc. I have to chew the steak to oblivion prior to swallowing (aka really let that beef swirl around in your mouth like a nice Pinot, appreciating the subtle flavors.)

What Mike and PP wrote are spot on. Some things still require more chewing than before surgery. But it's also a lot closer to normal thanit was 6 months postop. Bread still fills me up faster than anything. I've only tried pasta once since surgery, and I wish I hadn't.

Everything becomes more "normal." Some things I wish remained more difficult. Some I still consider off limits.

I guess I did things a little differently than the others *****sponded, but I am a revision patient from a failed lap-band. I think that probably impacted my healing, so bear that in mind... Anyway, I had some damage to my esophagus from the band and so I needed to take small well chewed bites for a good long time. I even used a tiny pickle fork for about a year to remind me. I'm 7.5 years out now and there are still foods that are just hard to get down--plain chicken breast and salmon, as well as pretty much any reheated meat in the microwave. If I have them, I need small bites, very well chewed, otherwise I am stuc****il I vomit. It's hard because everything else is back to normal eating, so its easy to forget to eat those foods correctly--especially when I am hungry! But don't let that scare you--more than 99% of the time it's not an issue at all anymore!

I still cannot eat Microwaved dense protein. That is why I love the air fryer.

I have a different surgery than you but can provide another data point. I moved to soft, high-protein foods two weeks out from surgery and was on that plan until three months.

Anything that required cutting (not yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.) I cut into pea-sized bites. Took quite some time chewing for each one, mainly because I have a small stomach and it fills so fast, I needed to learn how much I could eat without over-eating. All of these steps were recommended by my clinic and helped as I learned my new anatomy.

Honestly, that was during the learning curve and healing part since I often have about five minutes between meetings or work to scarf something down. In these cases, I try for yogurt or something soft as I can manage more of that kind of protein than chicken or other dense meats.

Now a regular meal includes the dense protein, some veg, and a bit of complex carbs (also specific to where I'm at with my plan). Bite size depends on how much time I have to eat. If I'm not in a hurry, I eat slower to enjoy it and stave off some head hunger that can happen if I don't feel like I ate.

So in my case, it does depend on how much time I have and how far out from surgery I was. Cheers!f

I started out being able to eat 2 tablespoons after the puree step and by 6 months I could eat about 3/4-1 cup of food. I was told to eat till I was full or for 1 half hour whatever came first. Also, I was told to stop drinking 1/2 hour before a meal and do not drink 1 hour after a meal. Click on this link this is the nutritional guidelines that were given to me 5 years ago.

Thank you so much for sharing. I would find that 30 minutes before and 60 minutes after extremely challenging to manage water intake. How did you go with it?